Darkness Falls
by Winged One
Summary: Chapter 7 now up. The Shadow is no longer the companions' greatest threat as they learn of Circles and Swords, sorceresses and a little matter of reincarnation...
1. Not Long Now

Disclaimer: Nothing from the Zelda games is mine…Neither is Lindsay, Rhia, Zyuiu Dbyu, Prince André, or Rowrun. With that…let the games begin!

*

*

_Darkness falls_

_Catching me unprepared_

_Darkness falls_

_And I suddenly feel scared._

_Darkness falls_

_And I've lost my way_

_Darkness falls_

_Before the end of the day._

_Darkness falls_

_And I've lost myself inside_

_Darkness falls_

_Costing me my sense of pride._

_Where were you_

_When darkness fell?  
Where were you_

When my golden light turned into hell? 

*

The dawn crept silently into the bedchamber of the Princess Zelda. Zelda slept on, blissfully unaware of the sun that marked the third year since she had been forced to run from Hyrule Proper to the Tourney, disguised as a Shiek that Link did not remember.

            That had been the strangest time in Princess Zelda's life. Not the most frightening—the seven years spent as Shiek waiting for the Hero of Time, right underneath the hand of Ganondorf, controlled that title. But when competing for strangeness, nothing beat that year.

            It had started with Damion the evil magician, who was the puppet of Ganondorf. Damion had faked Zelda's death and cast a spell so he could blame it on Shiek. Zelda had fled as Shiek into Hyrule Proper, where she met up with a girl named Lindsay. That led them to Rhia D'nalz, the Archseer with unpredictable powers and a tendency towards chickens.

            The three had run through Hyrule Field to the scrublands, with a magically-infuriated Link close behind. They then came to the Tourney in the land of Odentnin. Allies and foes were made there: Prince André and Lord Rowrun of Odnetnin, members of the Order of the Crimson Hawk, became Shiek, Lindsay, and Rhia's friends. A young fighter named Ymota U recognized the handiwork of a minion of the Evil King and joined in Link's attempts to kill Shiek, and Lindsay and Rhia, if they would get in her way. Ymota U's sister, Zyuiu Dbyu, was exposed to the dark side of her sister and joined Shiek in her fight against Damion.

            The Tourney ended with Shiek recovering from an attack on her life. Ymota U had stabbed her as she was trying to convince Link of who she really way. With Rhia's help, Shiek lived, and Link was convinced. The six traveled back to Hyrule Proper, where they fought Damion and Ymota U, as well as Impa and the imperial soldiers—the latter, for a time, at least. But as Shiek fought, she was overcome by a madness she knew only as a voice that called itself the dark side of the Triforce—which had already claimed Ganondorf into insanity.

            With the voice telling her that she was destined to die at Damion's disposal, Shiek was determined to kill Damion. Ymota U had been eaten by a giant chicken, and Damion was the only threat that remained in Hyrule. Shiek killed him and nearly died in the process, and was only healed with the power of two magic swords belonging to Lindsay and Prince André.

            And then life had suddenly been…normal.

            For three entire years, life for Princess Zelda and Link had been entirely normal. Under the category of normal now fell several odd things, such as Rhia and her chicken outbursts, and going to the Tourney to watch the year before, but still, that was now normal.

            And so dawn crept into Zelda's chamber. With it crept Link.

            He crouched inside her closet for close to an hour, waiting for her to wake up. He watched from in between the doors as she got up, yawning, and brushed her hair. He watched, entirely content, as she slipped out of her nightgown and sauntered lazily over to the closet. Link could barely contain his laughter and bubbling excitement as Zelda reached and opened the closet doors.

            "RAAAAAAAAR!"

            Zelda shrieked. Link jumped out at her and caught her as she stumbled back. Zelda stared in shock at Link for a moment, then slapped him. Link, still laughing, looked chagrined. Link held Zelda tightly and kissed her. "Good morning," he said.

            "You're mean," Zelda snapped.

            Link laughed. "I know," he said. Link held her like that for a few more minutes, then Zelda sighed and said, "Link, I'm stark naked. Will you let me get dressed?"

            Link pouted. "Do I hafta?"

            That brought a smile from Zelda. "Impa's going to be in here in a half-hour, whether I'm dressed or not," she said. "And unless you want a large bump underneath that hat of yours, I suggest you let me dress." Link scrambled backward, and Zelda was soon dressed. She wore a deep red dress of a light cloth. Around her neck hung, as always, the silver Triforce necklace that had helped both Zelda and Rhia D'nalz return to life from the land of ever-present shadows and rain.

            "It's hard to believe it was only three years ago," Link said.

            "I remember what I was doing right now, back then," Zelda said, the memories fresh as Link brought it up. "I was falling off a roof in the Proper, in front of Lindsay Vinsick's house."

            "Falling off a roof?" Link said, thinking back. "Oh right, you told me about that."

            Zelda smiled and nodded. "But, I'm absolutely starving, Link. Let's go get some breakfast?"

            They left Zelda's rooms hand in hand, talking about the day to come, and not the past.

*

It was a normal day in most of Hyrule. The Kokiri Forest was quiet; the scrubs and Hyrule Field were undisturbed. Death Mountain lay dormant, the waters flowed silently. Dusty temples of the six sages lay forgotten and silent in their eternal twilight. Kakariko bustled, the Lon Lon Ranch laughed in the breeze. It was a normal day in most of Hyrule.

            Not in Hyrule Proper.

            The group that made its way through Hyrule Proper commanded respect and caused whispers of memories three years dusty. The last time they had marched through the Proper, they'd been bound and prodded on by the great frogsticker, the Master Sword.

            Rhia D'nalz was immediately recognized. She lived in the Proper, still. The people in the town looked upon her fondly, even if "Chicken Girl" did seem like a derogatory nickname.

            Next to be recognized was the fiery-headed woman walking next to Rhia, Lindsay Vinsick, who had lived in the Proper for eighteen years until, that very day three years before, Shiek had almost literally fallen into her lap. Now she lived in Odnetnin with her soon-to-be husband, Lord Rowrun of Odnetnin, who walked beside the two.

            Behind them walked Prince André of Odnetnin, who was betrothed as well, but not to the young woman who strode jauntily beside him. Zyuiu Dbyu still had her oddly angled and cut blonde hair, the same look of serene confidence on her face. The shadows of her past had been lifted from her.

            The group of five made their way towards the castle. Little did Zelda and Link know that these five brought with them news that would disturb the normal that had been the last three years of their lives.

            The shadow came…

*

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a/n: First of all, no I don't know what is up with that last line. It sounded nifty enough to me.

Welcome to Darkness Falls! Lord only knows where it'll go from here.

Lil' Blue Muse: My turn to talk?

Simi: No.

Lil' Blue Muse: *beans Simi with GameCube* Yes it is! Bweehehehe! *erhem*

Formal welcomes to all the peoples who submitted characters in the last story! Meaning, in order, Lindsay, Winkybunion, Zappermon, Warstock Leonhart, and OmniGG!

Next, a welcomes to the rest of you. If you want a character of yours to magically appear in Darkness Falls, email Simi, or Review her, and say so! Maybe you'll get one.

Wif dat, my muffins are burning. Eep!

~Winged One and Lil' Blue Muse


	2. Debts

Disclaimer: I don't think I own anyone in this story. Zelda, Link, Hyrule, Ganondorf, etc, are all un-mine, and the "gang" belongs to various and sundry people. If I come across anybody I actually do own, I'll be sure to tell you.

*

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Sitting 

_            Here_

_                        Wondering_

_                                    Watching_

_                                                Waiting_

_                                    Wanting_

_                        To_

_            Know_

_How_

_            The_

_                        Final_

_                                    Move_

_                                                Is_

_                                                            Yours._

*

Some time shortly after lunch, Link had left Zelda to go hit things with his sword. Or, as he liked to put it, 'practice.' Zelda had contented herself to going to a hillside and lying back on the grass, staring at the clouds. Her thoughts were disorganized and random, varying from the solemn to the absurd. Zelda liked it that way. She shouldn't have to be burdened by the past and the future _all_ the time.

            The sky was a perfect blue that is always written about and never seen; the clouds were big and fat and fluffy. The grass all around smelled of the rich earth; the trees were rich in their browns and greens, swaying softly with a breeze that only they seemed to know. And Rhia D'nalz's eyes, suddenly right above Zelda's face, twinkled.

            "Yeep!" Zelda sat up suddenly, as a reflex, and hit her head on Rhia's head. Zelda fell right back down and Rhia toppled over backwards. The other four, standing nearby, laughed. Zelda sighed sharply. "I do not like you people."

            "Which is probably why we keep coming on back," said Rowrun. He went over and stuck out a hand to help Rhia up.

            "What's this? A party without me?"

            "'Ello, Link," André called as the green-clad hero made his way over. "We were just about to tell Zelda how the world was about to end."

            Zelda sat up. "Again?"

            The five regulars at the Tourney looked at each other. None of them really wanted to be the one to tell the news, even though that was why they had all come to Hyrule. "Well, somebody tell me, or I'm going back to my cloud-watching," Zelda said.

            Lindsay decided to tell Zelda. "The Tourney is closed," she said softly.

            Zelda jumped up. She and Link exchanged glances. "What?" Zelda said. "What do you mean, the Tourney's closed?"

            "Exactly what I said," Lindsay said sadly. "By order of the King of Odnetnin, the Tourney building has been set off-limits to everyone. The Tourney's not happening this year—maybe never again."

            "Why?" Link said.

            The five looked around at each other again. "No one knows, exactly," Zyuiu said. "Not even Frick and Frack here." She tossed her head towards André and Rowrun.

            Rowrun and André looked at each other. "That's not entirely true," Rowrun said. "Those of us in a certain order may have overhead…something…"

            Zyuiu stared at them in disbelief. "You've known something all this time?"

            "By the goddesses, tell us!" Lindsay demanded.

            "All we know is, 'the shadow' has overtaken the Tourney," said André.

            "'The shadow?'" Link said unhappily. "Like the demon shadow from Kakariko?" Rowrun and André could only shrug.

            "After Ymota U died, I looked through some of her things," Zyuiu offered suddenly. "She had a few books. I burned most of them; they were nothing but evil. But there was one that just seemed to be a reference to evils in the world. Everything was there—everything you fought to become to the Hero of Time, Link. But other things, too. The very last reference was hastily scrawled, and I think Ymota U might've written it."

            "We're all just full of surprises today," Rhia muttered.

            Zyuiu smiled. "It was business between Ymota U and myself," she said. "I had no reason to say any of it—until now, anyway." Zyuiu looked up into the clouds, as if seeking guidance, then continued. "What am I saying, of course it was written by Ymota U. There were little sketches, notes alongside the entry. It was simpled titled 'The Shadow.' The sketches were of several mirrors, like…like the one beneath the Tourney. I don't recall exactly what the entry said, but it had something to do with insanity, another plane, and…things like that."

            "That sounds like whatever closed the Tourney," André said. "Remember, guys, we were holding an early Tourney this year by request. Everyone had shown up to practice when the sun didn't rise one day. It rose everywhere else, but there was a dark blanket over the Tourney. Everyone packed up and left for the castle, and my father sent in a few soldiers to investigate."

            "They came out physically unharmed," Rowrun said. "But they're stark raving mad, now."

            "Hm," Zyuiu said. "I wonder what happened to the gatekeeper."

            Everyone turned to stare at Zyuiu. "That was the absolute most random thing I've heard all day," Zelda said.

            Zyuiu looked around, suddenly aware of everyone staring at her. "Hm? Oh. Not really," she said. She seemed about to say something when a little candle lit above her head—or so it seemed, anyway. "Oh, right. None of you know that."

            "Know…what?" Link asked.

            "The gatekeep is also Master Tourney," Zyuiu said with a shrug. "Don't ask me why. He's got several appearances, as far as I can tell. He became a bit of a father figure to me, over the years, so that's why I—and Ymota U—know."

            "Proceed with the thought," Rhia said.

            "That day when the sun didn't rise," Zyuiu said. "I saw everyone but Master Tourney leaving, or arriving the the castle. I asked around. No one saw Master Tourney leave, and he hasn't been seen since then." Zyuiu shrugged. "It's probably nothing. He probably went home. It was just a thought that I sort of said out loud."

            There was a short silence, then Zelda said, "So the Tourney is closed." She took a deep breath. "Why did you come here?"

            "That wasn't actually our original thought," Lindsay said. "Once the lot of us figured out that something unnatural was going on, Rhia thought she might have something on it, in a book of hers. The books, incidentally, are all in her house here in the Proper."

            "So we came over," Rhia said, smiling. "And my books had nothing! So then I said, hey, Zelda knows a lot about this kind of random evil occurrence, probably Link does too. Why don't we go ask them?"

            "So we did," Rowrun said.

            "I'm really sorry, guys," Zelda said. "But neither Link nor I know anything about any—shadows."

            "That's not actually what we were going to ask you," Zyuiu said. Link and Zelda glanced at one another: there was something ominous in Zyuiu's words. "We were hoping you would both come back with us to Odnetnin and help us fight the shadow."

*

"No."

            "You don't understand, Father, I must g—"

            "No."

            The seven that had stood in this room three years ago as the ones from the Tourney, Zelda, Link, Lindsay, Rhia, Zyuiu, André, and Rowrun, stood there now, pleading before the King and Queen of Hyrule. Or rather, Zelda was doing the pleading. The other six stood there looking pitiful and hopeful and the like.

            The King and Queen, understandably, didn't want Zelda and Link going off to another country to a fight a shadow that had yet to become a problem in Hyrule. And Zelda, understandably, didn't understand why they weren't letting her.

            "Mother, Father, you don't understand!" Zelda protested. "If the shadow—whatever it is—is allowed to flourish in the Tourney, it could take over all of Odnetnin. And if it does that, it could come to Hyrule. By then, it could be too powerful to stop!"

            "Odentnin can handle it," the King said. "They have a formidable army. Each and every soldier has survived the Tourney at least once—surely you, Zelda, know that they must be acceptable fighters, most of them fierce and loyal?"

            "But what if it's _him_ from the Sacred Realm?" Zelda said. "What if he's getting out? Without the Tourney, _he_ would have gotten out the last time he tried!"

            "All the more reason to keep you and Link away from there," the Queen said. "He'll be weak—defeatable without the Master Sword. How much more danger do you think we're willing to put you in, Princess?"

            Zelda was silent for a moment, left without an argument. The King and Queen were about to dismiss these children—young men and women, really—when Zelda said, her voice low and tight, "You owe me."

            It was not just the King and Queen who stared at Zelda after that. Everyone stared. Most stared in simple curiousity, but Link, the King, and the Queen all stared with a mixture of wonder—had they misheard Zelda?—and an emotion too weak to be called anger.

            "What did you say?" the King wanted to know.

            "You owe me this," Zelda said. "For forgetting Shiek."

            "Zelda, everyone forgot Shiek," the Queen said. "And not one of us could have prevented it. We were under Damion's spell! Even Impa and Link forgot who you were."

            Zelda shook her head. "I don't care," she said. "Of course, everyone forgot. But I know magic, Mother. Magic just doesn't cause people to spontaneously forget a person. No—you wanted to forget. Everyone who forgot wanted to. It doesn't matter why. I'm sure you wanted just to put that entire episode in the past, forget it, and move on. You wanted to forget everything about that time—and Damion just conveniently showed up to help. You wanted to forget and he let me. And someday, when I need it, I will pull this favor from everyone else. But you owe me this now."

            "We owe you nothing," the King said. "We're trying to protect you, Zelda!"

            Zelda again looked as though she had no argument, but then she said, "If I were to turn into Shiek and run away, would you forget me again?"

            "Why are you antagonizing us this way?" the Queen demanded.

            "Answer the question," Zelda said.

            "Zelda!" snapped the King. "Don't speak to us that way!"

            "Answer the question," Zelda said again, harder this time. "It can be arranged. If you want so badly to forget Shiek, I can turn into her and be gone. Rhia here is an archseer—if she doesn't turn you into chickens, you won't remember who Shiek is at all."

            "Zelda," the Queen pleaded.

            "Either answer the question," Zelda said, her voice hard as stone. "Or allow me to go."

            The Queen slumped back in her throne. "What choice do we have? Either way we lose you."

            "If you let me go," Zelda said, her voice suddenly soft. "Then at least I stand a chance of coming back." Zelda bowed curtly to her parents, turned, and swept out of the throne room. Hesitantly, her friends followed.

            "Zelda," Link said softly, coming up next to her. "Was all that really necessary? If we had tried to talk, for a little while longer—"

            "Father was right," Zelda said, almost apologetically. "I turned that into more than Odnetnin. It was selfish, but it accomplished two things. We're going to Odnetnin, and I feel better."

            "You feel better after making your parents feel like villains?" Rhia wanted to know. Rhia, though eighteen, had a bit of a hard time being anything but innocent. Even when her questions and comments seemed rude, they weren't—they were pure, unabated curiousity.

            "Rhia, love, they wanted me to die because I'd killed myself," Zelda said. "And I know the spell Damion used. I know it very, very well. You can use it on such a grand scale—I never have. You have to want to forget before it will work…" With that, Zelda quickened her pace and was soon gone.

            "Well," Zyuiu said. "You all get to come and fight evil shadows, now."

            Link rolled his eyes. "Excellent."

*  
The next day, Link and Zelda had packed for the journey through the scrubs and into Odnetnin. The King and Queen formally saw the seven off, but Zelda and her parents didn't even say goodbye—and neither side seemed to regret it.

            The other six saw the strain this suddenly put on Zelda, but she forced it back, and they didn't comment. They got through all of Hyrule Field that night, and stopped and made camp before they got to the scrubs.

*

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*

a/n: Oh my…Zelda's feeling a bit angsty…I actually don't really have much to say in this one. But it gets better. And by better, I mean "better if you're the reader." When you're part of the 'gang' 'better' only means 'worse.'


	3. Gather the Shadows and Sunshine

Disclaimer: Again. I'll let you know if we come across anyone that's mine…although, coming across anything that's mine, the mirror is…Mf.

* * *

Woken from a slumber  
Of a dark and distant year  
Hero, awake!  
Earth, quake!  
Bring a light of evermore  
To banish away my tears.

Brought forth from dark  
Of insanity and cries  
Villain, take!  
Earth, shake!  
Force away his darkness  
Bring truth from all his lies.

Bound to the past  
Trying to run, to hide  
Princess, shake!  
Earth, break!  
Bring back the light of love  
Make it so I've never cried.

* * *

The journey through the scrublands was not a pleasant one. Zelda had, essentially, two moods as they moved through the dust and dirt: a tight, silent sort of depression, or an extreme happiness that really only came about as she discussed the engagements of her friends.

"Tell me about the engagement!" Zelda prodded early one morning as they set out again. "What happened?

Lindsay smiled. "Well, it was actually at last year's Tourney," she said, relishing in the look of shock she got from Zelda. "Rowrun and I had just finished a match against each other. I'd goofed up—"

"Flames, you lost, fair and square," Rowrun snorted.

"I'd goofed up," Lindsay repeated, as though she hadn't heard Rowrun. He began to talk and she clamped a hand over his mouth. Zelda got the strange feeling that Rowrun was licking the palm of her hand, like one does as a small child to get a hand off one's mouth. Zelda got the even stranger feeling that Lindsay was enjoying it. "And so I was flat on my back in the dust. Rowrun comes over and sits beside me—"

Rowrun pushed away Lindsay's hand (she then wiped it on his shirt) and said, "I was sitting _on_ you!"

Lindsay thought about. "He was, actually. He comes over and sits on my legs and says, 'Listen, Flames, this can go two ways. Either I can sit on you 'til kingdom come, or you can marry me.'"

"My goddesses, it was great," Rowrun said happily. "The color just drained from her cheeks, her eyes got so wide, and her jaw just dropped. And then she stammers, 'Well, hell, chicken-boy, what's taken you this long?'" 

"That's so romantic," Zelda said thoughtfully. "In a completely frightening, please-don't-hurt-me sort of way."

"We're not even at the best part," Rowrun said. "We told André, Zyuiu, and Rhia, and Rhia thought she should send up fireworks."

"And?"

"And, the fireworks were shaped like chickens," Lindsay sighed. "Huge, gigantic chickens in the sky!"

* * *

The night in the scrubs was cool and silent, hushed and muted under the slice of moon above. The others slept peacefully in the silver darkness, but Zelda was up, sitting somewhat away from the group. A small, brief breeze blew across her, drying the single tear that fell down her cheek.

Zelda couldn't understand it. Her life, for a very long time, had been normal. With breaks in the middle only for Ganondorf and Damion, it had stayed that way. Why was it happening again? Why wouldn't life, or fate, or the goddesses, or whatever was pulling on her fragile puppet strings, just leave her alone?

But Zelda knew the answer already. She had always known the answer and she always would. She would never have a normal life because she, as a human being, was not normal. She had dreams of terrible futures; she had hidden for seven years as a Sheikah from the Great King of Evil. She was in love with the Hero of Time; and even though he'd loved her, he'd tried to kill her several times. A dark wizard had blamed her own 'death' on her, and she'd run to the Tourney as that same Sheikah, the one no one should have hated. She had nearly died there, impaled on a sword made as much of hate as it was of steel; and she had touched the goddesses in the land of ever-present shadows and rain. She had nearly succumbed to a dark insanity, and had nearly died again while in its final throes.

No. Zelda knew she was not normal. Normal princesses dreamed only of the husband they would one day have; they did not allow their kingdoms to be overcome by the Bane of Hyrule—they ordered their army to stop it. Normal princesses were saved by the Sheikah—they did not have to become one in order to live. Normal princesses never had anything quite so wild and free and fierce (and green) as the Hero of Time—they were lucky to find a hero at all. Normal princesses were not nearly murdered by their true lovers. Normal princesses did not have one half of their being fake-killed and have the other half blamed for it. In fact, normal princesses did not have two halves. Normal princesses never even went to the Tourney. If they did they only watched, never participated in a bloody show of equality and worthiness. Normal princesses, when they nearly died, never went to the land of ever-present shadows and rain—Zelda was quite sure she and Rhia were the only ones ever there, along with Din, Farore, and Nayru. And even if they did…normal princesses did not come back. They did not have to succumb to a dark insanity because they did not carry its burden.

No, Zelda knew she was not normal. She had friends who loved her and a life that seemed good—but the darker sides would not leave her alone. In front of her eyes danced the threat of a looming shadow, bearing both the evils of the world and the evils that still lurked inside of her; the evils of a dark, hushed Triforce, the evils that even the goddesses could not quite contain.

* * *

They arrived in Odnetnin the next day. Odnetnin itself had only two great landmarks: the city of Odnetnin, and the Tourney. The city itself was a burst of life and laughter and color, especially after the scrublands. Outside the city walls were small armies of gaily-colored tents, belonging to various performers and merchants and what-have-you.

Though the group tried to pass unnoticed through the bustling crowd, everyone recognized Prince André, Lord Rowrun, and the soon-to-be-Lady Lindsay. Most people recognized Rhia (the chicken farmers were thrilled to see her) and Zyuiu. And when they began to recognize Princess Zelda and Link, the crowd would whisper and point, wondering if that was—if it could really be—Hyrule's Princess and the Hero of Time.

Despite all this, and barring one chicken explosion, they made it to the castle of Odnetnin unscathed. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" André said proudly as they approached the castle gates.

It was made of a light sandstone and looked, to Zelda and Link's eyes, something very akin to the Gerudo Fortress in the western deserts. It looked very little like a castle and in most respects could never compare to Hyrule Castle. But as it rose out of the dusty scrublands, surrounded by a little oasis of streams and rich grass, it was something very beautiful, something almost unreal against the faded sky. Zelda felt herself smiling, something she'd been doing surprisingly often since arriving in the midst of the tents outside the city.

"It's more than beautiful," Zelda said breathlessly.

"It's home!" Rowrun exclaimed. He seemed barely able to contain himself.

"Down, boy!" Lindsay laughed.

The gates were opened and the group welcomed in. The castle of Odnetnin bustled and flowed as much as the city surrounding it. Rowrun and André expertly led the way through the crowd, weaving through and occasionally under groups of people. Soon, they could hear the music of flutes and tambourines. André pushed open two wide doors. The scene in front of them was another display of color and sound. A path led up to the throne of the King of Odnetnin. The little path was lined with musicians and young women, dancing with bold, bright scarves in hand. The King smiled when he saw the group. The music quieted and the dancing stopped.

"Welcome home, welcome home!" he said. He looked at Rhia and Zyuiu and said, "Welcome in, darling girls! No chicken parts today, eh, archseer?" Rhia made a face but smiled. The King then looked at Zelda and Link. After a pause, he said, "You're not currently trying to claim Odnetnin as part of Hyrule, are you?"

Zelda shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Err…Not this year, no, sir."

The King chuckled and bowed to the princess. "Then welcome, Princess Zelda, and welcome, Hero of Time!" He turned back to André and Rowrun. "What brings you back? I thought you would have gone to wait out the shadow in Hyrule!"

André flushed a spectacular crimson as Zyuiu jabbed him in the ribs. "You didn't tell him what it is we mean to do?" she hissed.

"What?" asked the King.

"Er," André coughed. "No?"

"Why not?" Zyuiu demanded quietly.

"Remember Zelda's parents?" André said, tugging at his collar.

Leaning forward in his throne, the King asked good-naturedly, "And may I ask just what is going on?"

The companions looked at one another for a moment with no one moving forward. Zelda took a step forward, but Link waved a hand in front of her and stepped up towards the King. He drew the Master Sword solemnly from its sheath. The guards standing behind the throne tensed. The King only watched, interested. Link turned the sword and stood it point-down, kneeling behind it. "Your Grand Majesty of Odnetnin," he began. "Prince André and the others have brought the news of the shadow to Hyrule. Prince André has also said that your best soldiers were driven insane by the very dark of the thing. I am here to offer my sword to fight this thing."

There was a pause, then Zyuiu, lance in hand, bowed deeply before the King. "And I, my lance." She looked steadily and proudly at Link, then stole a glance towards the others.

"I, my magic," Rhia said, pausing, then followed with, "Or my chickens. My magic and my chickens!"

Lindsay bowed, the battered Sword of Healing in hand. "My sword and its healing magic, Majesty!"

Rowrun patted his belt, searching for a weapon. The closest he could come was his feather duster, sticking out of his back pocket. He whipped it out and held it in front of him like a fencing sword and bowed. "And I whatever is on hand!"

André drew the Sword of Power and kneeled before his father as Link did. "I will offer Odnetnin's strongest magic to fight this thing, Father."

That left Zelda alone standing back. She took a few steps forward and held her hands out toward the King. "I will offer what my hands can create and the goddesses give me," she said softly.

The King looked over the seven young companions. They were little more than children, by any respects. "What makes you believe you can destroy this thing for me?" he asked. "That you can succeed where my soldiers have died in vain?"

Unconsciously, Zelda covered up her hand. "Because, with all due respect, Your Majesty, I myself have seen insanity that this shadow can only dream of." She took out her hand slowly, looking at the dull symbol etched forever therein. "Every light casts shadows, and every golden dream has its darkness."

"This shadow must be stopped, before it consumes Odnetnin," Link said. He glanced at the dull symbol on his own hand. "And who better than us, Majesty? We've defeated him and his minions so far. What can this shadow be compared to all that?"

The King looked at the companions as he thought things over. "It's a valid point, my boy," he mused quietly. "A valid point to be sure." He nodded. "Very well. You have my permission to conquer this shadow-thing. Rest here tonight and set out in the morning."

Zelda folded one hand over the other. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

* * *

The night was cool and dry. The moon hung high and silver in the arid night sky. Link and Zelda slept curled together in a great bed in the guest wing of the Odnetnin castle. Link had one arm draped over Zelda, who was nestled tightly against him. Link smiled softly in his sleep, dreaming sweet dreams of peace and the young woman with him. Zelda's dreams were more troubled.

She stirred uncomfortably in her sleep, a frown on her face. Every light in her dreams was casting shadows; every glimmer of gold grew dark in the moonlight.

* * *

Stormclouds gathered overhead. The land was barren as ever. Look and look as she might, Zelda could see nothing. The mirror wasn't here, nor was Shiek. But a glance down betrayed that. Both of the princess' halves, Shiek and Zelda, were occupying the same space, fading in and out of visibility as one took control. At least she was safe, then, and whole.

She looked around, desperate to find something, to see something. The sky rumbled distantly, but she only briefly took notice of that. She looked around again and again, a sense of urgency mounting in her mind. This was not just a dream, she knew. Dreams in this place were real somewhere. But unlike when Rhia had healed her three years ago, this was not the present. This was the future. She could sense it; she knew it.

She started forward, opening her mouth to call for the goddesses. But she was stopped before the first step landed. Startled, she pressed her fingers in front of her. She was blocked by a clear, smooth surface. She rapped on it gently and shuddered suddenly. The land behind her rippled. The glass surface was perfectly clear now. In a line straight behind, the background of barrenness and stormclouds remained. But outside of the immediate line of the glass—there was blackness. Frightened, she rapped harder on the glass. There was another ripple and the glass was suddenly framed in ornate silver.

Zelda pressed her face to the glass and looked out. There, the land was whole—barren, but ever whole. Suddenly, a shadow draped itself over the glass. She shrieked and stumbled back. The shadow took on a vaguely female shape and suddenly, Zelda realized. The shape was beginning to take on her form, from what it could tell on its side of the mirror.

She was trapped here.

Trapped inside the mirror.

She rushed back to the glass and pounded frantically on the smooth surface. Soon, though, she found herself forcefully mimicking the shadow.

She was trapped here.

Trapped inside the mirror.

* * *

Zelda sat up, gasping for air. She felt her face and hair and decided she was real enough. Several swift, wild looks around told her the dream was over. She found one of Link's hands and clasped it tightly within her own. It had been some time since her last prophecy dream; since the last dream in the land of ever-present shadows and rain. She couldn't stop trembling. Tears coursed quickly down her cheek.

This shadow was something Zelda knew all too well.

Every light has its shadows; every golden dream its darkness.

* * *

Lil' Blue Muse: Welcome back to the land of the living, Simi!  
Simi: --blinking-- The light is so…bright!  
Lil' Blue Muse: Good girl. You're very observant.  
Simi: --sigh-- Go away.  
Lil' Blue Muse: --sledgehammer--  
Simi: For g…Fine. Stay.  
Welcome one and all to the newly updated Darkness Falls! Aren't we all excited? I am. Eternal thanks and a million muffins to Winkybunion, who finally got me off my lazy butt and writing! This took me all of two days once I applied myself. --applause--  
Can't wait 'til they get to the shadow. I have ideas, I do…yeeeeeeshh…

Well…if you all do show up again, thanks for waiting! You've no idea how much it means to me if any of you continue your reading!  
Over and under and sideways and out,

winged one 


	4. Sleep, Dreamers, Sleep

Disclaimer: It has occurred to me that I own Odnetnin!

Whee! (Look! Haiku!)

--

_The soft silence is_

_Broken only by the dark_

_Of the dying day._

_--_

_In the hushed dawn light, Zyuiu Dbyu moaned softly in her sleep and rolled over. She blinked once or twice to get the sand out of her eyes. She frowned as something moved in front of her._

_Standing right in front of her was Ymota U._

_Zyuiu's eyes widened as she sat up. In literally the blink of an eye, Ymota U had moved behind Zyuiu's line of sight. Every time Zyuiu twisted to see her sister, she only caught a flash of brown hair and a leg making a sharp turn. Finally, Zyuiu wedged herself in the corner and looked around. Ymota U was gone. Then, suddenly, the brown-haired twin popped up from beneath Zyuiu's bed._

_That was when Zyuiu realized that the bed she had just woken up in was smaller than the bed she had gone to sleep in. And the room was not the airy guest room in the Odnetnin castle, but the small, dusty room she had grown up in, in Hyrule Proper._

_And that Ymota U was not dead._

_"Ymota U," Zyuiu whispered. "You—you're dead, and…I'm in Odnetnin, and…"_

_Ymota U smiled warmly, sincerely. "No," she said. "You were just dreaming again, Zyuiu, just dreaming!"_

_Zyuiu looked around again, desperately trying to understand what was going on. The window caught her eye. The light streaming in was not golden but reddish. The room of her childhood smelled of incense and was decorated with symbols of the Gerudo and of the Triforce._

_"Ymota U, what is going on?"_

_"Nothing's going on," Ymota U said, sitting on the bed beside her sister. "How far back are you confused about?"_

_"I—I don't know," Zyuiu said, still looking around. "But, Ymota U…You died three years ago!"_

_Ymota U looked genuinely confused. Then she laughed. "Three years ago? Three years ago, I killed the little archseer, and…then I killed Zelda. You finished off the rest of those troublemakers a few weeks later. Don't you remember?" When Zyuiu stilled looked stunned, Ymota U smiled indulgently and continued. "And then you helped me kill the King and Queen of Hyrule. Then we killed Damion…And just this year, Zyuiu, I summoned Ganondorf back from the Sacred Realm and we killed him, too."_

_"You died! I was there! Ymota U, I saw you die!"_

_Ymota U hugged her sister. "What has gotten into you? You must be thinking of six years ago, Zyuiu. That's when I died. And after the Ksam-Rorrim took over Odnetnin, I took my chance and came back. That's when the little archseer died."_

_"The Ksam-what?"_

_Ymota U stood up. "What is wrong with you today, Zyuiu?" She shook her head. "I have things to see to." She left._

_Zyuiu jumped up and went over to her window. She could not see much of the city beneath her; this was her old room but not in her old house. And true to her eye, the sunlight was bloody._

_Zyuiu sank back onto her bed._

_"But she died…"_

--

Zyuiu gasped and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around quickly. She was in the bed she had gone to sleep in, courtesy of the King of Odnetnin. The sunlight peeking through her window was pale and golden, not bloody red.

She put her face in her hands and took several long, deep breaths. She wasn't surpised to find a few tears leaking from her eyes. It had been months since she had last even dreamed of Ymota U, much less had something so close to a nightmare.

Zyuiu liked to wake with the dawn and be up and moving not long after. This morning, though, she sat in her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, and wondering.

"She died…"

--

"_I hate dreaming," Rhia sighed. "I just hate it. And prophecy dreams are the worst. I hope this one's not…oh…"_

_She was standing at the entrance to a room. The room in front was circular; the hall behind her long and dark. It was cool down here, cool and dark. The room was made of stone, cold and damp._

_Most of Rhia's companions stood in a cluster in the center of the room. They were gathered around a large, ornate mirror. The mirror's surface was glowing silvery-blue; it was the only light that Rhia could see._

_Rhia stood, watching them all watching the mirror. Suddenly, the surface of the mirror rippled and laughter and a scream were heard. The scream was cut short and something was expelled from the glass. Rhia watched, unnoticed and alone, as the companions slowly fell, gathering the debris from the mirror. They swept past her into the long, dark hall. She was left alone in the room, gazing at the mirror._

_Slowly, she made her way over to the mirror. Kneeling down, she picked up what had been left behind by her companions. She only held it for some long minutes, then curled her fist around it and put her fist to her heart._

_After a moment, the mirror's surface rippled again and one last thing came tumbling out. Rhia heard the laughter again as the surface of the mirror calmed. She moved over to this new thing. White clothes were stained red; skin was burned and covered in blood. Long brown hair fell over a face angelic in death. Blue eyes stared up sightlessly at the stone ceiling, secrets of the past and future locked away forever in a further, forgotten land._

_Hands trembling violently, Rhia reached out and gently shut her own eyes forever._

--

Rhia woke up stifling a scream in the pre-dawn grey. That had been a prophecy. She could feel it in her eyes and hands as they burned. Her eyes and hands had really been there.

Her hands were in fact still shaking and were clenched tightly, nails digging into the palms of her hands. She loosened up one hand and straightened out her fingers. With that hand, she unrolled the other still-tight fist. As she pried back her fingers, she paused. It wasn't real. It wasn't here.

She'd picked it up and held it close in the dream. She'd actually held it, she knew, but that was only in the dream-land. Items there never crossed into reality. She looked around —the light was darkening steadily around her. A black veil, a black aura had settled around her. She was marked.

In her hand, she held a bloody chicken feather.  
--

_"HEAL HIM! BY THE GODDESSES, HEAL HIM!" She fell to her knees. "I'll give everything if you just heal him," she whispered. "My life, my memories, my heritage—anything…"_

Anything?

_"Anything!"_

Who are you?

_"No one! My name—"_

I know your name. What is this heritage of yours that you are willing to give?

_"I…I don't know."_

But you are willing to give it?

_"Yes. Please."_

Interesting.

_"Please!"_

This sword is old, you know.

_"I do, but—"_

Your father's?

_"Yes, but—"_

His father's before?

_"I…I think so…"_

The heritage of a flame is a most interesting thing. Fire can be passed on forever, even if not to the same candle. Fire can make most interesting leaps.

_"We're wasting time, please!"_

Your heritage does not come from your blood.

_"What? I—"_

It is most old…sacred.

_"Where—"_

If you give up this heritage of yours, you will lose most of what you are.

_"Will it save him?"_

Of course. Steel and fire do not lie, and that is what I am.

_"What will I lose?"_

Most everything. This sword, the fire in you, the spirit that fights to keep you, the spirit that fights with you in battle…You will not be who you are. The flames will quiet. You will be…docile.

_"Do it."_

The sword will move on. It chose you for the flames that are about to be extinguished.

_"Then let it move on!"_

Very well. Goodbye, Lindsay.  
--  
Lindsay woke up cold; her feet and fingers were numb. She felt Rowrun sleeping next to her; his body was warm. She couldn't quite remember her dream, only that she'd hated every moment of it. And that it had been very cold…

She looked at Rowrun. He looked fairly disheveled. Lindsay knew that was how he always was, but she could never help but smile. Asleep, he looked so innocent, almost childish. When he woke up, he was more mischief than sweetness. He was so vivacious and full of energy. He said he loved Lindsay because she was, too. Because she was Flames. Every time he touched her red hair, he melted.

"Don't lose me," she whispered to him. "I promise not to lose you."

She settled back under the blanket, still cold.  
--  
_"Couldn't you dance with me, just once more?" But she was already leaving. And as he watched her go, the red bled from her hair. The green from her eyes was already a fading puddle on the ground. Her browns and greens and silvers and fleshy pinks were all bleeding off of her like paint in the rain. "Wait…"_

_The trees all bled in front of him. Green leaves, brown bark, all slid to the ground, like a snake shedding its skin. The ground was forfeiting its color, the grass and soil spitting up color in a series of strangely beautiful fountains. And as he watched, the colors in the sky slid down the horizon and began puddling on the ground._

_What was left all around him was the same landscape of before, but colorless. All the color was collected in puddles, real, liquid puddles on the ground. And he—he still had color. He, Rowrun of the Crimson Hawk and he, Rowrun the Fox, still had color. His white shirt, his brown pants, his crimson tattoo, his blue eyes, all still true._

_Very slowly, the color of his skin began to drip. Then his hair, then his eyes, then his clothing. The dripping was almost maddening. When it was over, he looked down. He was colorless now too, but for the crimson hawk on his chest. He ran his hand over the tattoo curiously. As his fingers passed, the hawk itself shuddered and ripped itself free of Rowrun, ripping his heart out with it._

_He fell to his knees, watching as the red blood dripping from the hawk splashed into the puddle, and how the grey blood dripping from him did too. Clutching his empty chest, Rowrun watched the hawk shoot upwards, a streak of unbelievably beautiful crimson in the blank grey sky._  
--  
Rowrun woke up quietly, breathing in quickly. He thought Lindsay was asleep, too, but she was looking up at him. She moved closer to him and whispered in his ear, "It's all right, Rowrun, I'm here. Go back to sleep."

Rowrun took Lindsay's face in one hand and looked at her, eyes wide. "Your eyes," he said.

"What about my eyes?"

"They're still green." Rowrun's perfect earnestness made Lindsay giggle nervously. "And your hair is still red."

"Well, what else would it be?"

"Grey," he whispered. "Colorless. Don't ever let the color fade, Lindsay."

She made a comforting hushing noise at him. "Don't speak nonsense, you," she said. "You're still half-asleep. I'll never let the color fade, if that makes you happy."

As Rowrun struggled to fall asleep again, Lindsay didn't even try. Which was more valuable to Rowrun, life, or life in color? "And which will I give you?" Lindsay wondered. "Which can I give you?"  
--  
_The cries of the men were loud as they died. His battlecry was lost in the screams of the dead and the clash of steel, but he still cried out for his fallen comrades, his homeland, and his freedom. "We will not fall!" He raised his sword high and felt its pulse in his hands, felt the spirit within live. "We will not fall!"_

_He charged forward, the tattered remnants of his army behind him. Crown prince of a country that the enemy proclaimed had no rights to exist. Crown prince of an abomination. "We will not fall!"_

_In his hands, the sword writhed and twisted, changed. He allowed the sword to become him, and he lost himself in the sword. The sword grew more powerful with each swing, and with each swing, its form changed. Now a spear, now a sword, now a mace, now a sword_ _again—he held in his hands power. The power to liberate his people! The power to protect the house of his father for all time!_

_He held in his hands the power crafted by a secret circle for him, for him! This sword, this magic, this power was his. It had been crafted for his hand._

_A bloodred hawk circled, high above. The hawk bled furiously, but cried triumphantly. This night was his._  
--  
André woke up, startled. What had that been? That dream was like history come alive. The first battle for Odnetnin's freedom—hundreds and hundreds of years ago—had been a victory. Led by the crown prince of Odnetnin, the Hylian soldiers had been slaughtered.

That was the war's only victory for Odnetnin. Hyrule had overcome, the Sword of Power had been buried for nearly five hundred years, and the heritage of Odnetnin was nearly forgotten.

He had the sword, now. The great Sword of Power, crafted for a now nameless ancestor, was in his hands. Prince André of Odnetnin. And the ancient struggle between his people and the kingdom of Hyrule had stopped, for now. Zelda's father didn't want this forsaken stretch of land.

André looked at his swordhand. A few faint scars traced over the skin. In his hands was the power of Odnetnin. It had been fueled once, long ago, by a mysterious brotherhood, founded in blood and troubles, symbolized by the Bloodhawk. André and Rowrun had sought to recreate the nobility of the Bloodhawk with their own brotherhood, the Order of the Crimson Hawk. The crimson hawk was the lifeblood of Odnetnin, its pride and truth.

So why did it bleed?  
--  
_The faces were changing quickly, allowing him a second's recognition before changing again. The first two faces he could make out in the shadows were faces he did not know. The first was a man, with golden blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked more than familiar. The next was a woman, also with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was drawn to her immediately—he wanted to know her, to have her hold him—but she was quickly gone. She was replaced by warm red hair and laughing eyes. Malon! A first love, a lost love that he didn't really miss. And then there was green hair, green eyes. She was short and slender and smelled of home. Link had loved her more than anything else in the world, but the love was platonic. She was his spirit sister, his first guide in the dark night forests. Saria. Her face twisted and became yet another young woman he knew well. Princess of the Zora, she'd been, before becoming a Sage for him. Ruto had loved him, if he had not loved her back. She gave him everything._

_The blue twisted and was red, tan, and beautifully_ _gold. A pledge to him—a Sage for him—Nabooru. A queen, a thief, a victim, a savior. But it changed. Why could he find no voice as the images flew by? Why could he not thank them?_

_The slender desert queen was replaced by yet another of the Sages. His brother! Darunia. Brother. Fire and rock, heart and mind. Brother. Gone now, replaced by—Rauru? Watcher for seven years as his body grew. Protecter._

_And then, the face became slender, the white hair fuller. She was at home in the shadows. She watched him coolly. Her strength was unbelievable. Sheikah, last of her kind. Silent in the shadows—Sheikah! Protecter of the only woman he'd ever really loved, ever really would love. He owed her everything. Impa._

_Sheikah! The shadows rearranged themselves around the new face. Red eyes shone out from underneath a wrapping of rags. He felt so many feelings arise within him—gratitude, love, hate, anger, confusion. Three years ago he'd been made to hate her—Sheik…_

_He knew who Sheik would become. The morph to Zelda wasn't really a stretch, was it? The long blonde hair came tumbling out, the red eyes faded to blue. He expected to see her smile, but no smile came. He suddenly realized that the wide blue eyes were wild, her face contorted in pain. He watched a line of blood open on her face and trickle slowly down. Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he help her?_

_He watched, helpless, as the woman he loved was replaced by a laughing figure he did not know. It looked like Zelda, but the glowing red eyes and darkness were perhaps a poignant warning that this was everything Zelda was not. The laughter was taken over by Ymota U. Dead she was, but engraved in Link's mind she remained. Evil and beautiful, she had nearly succeeded in killing Zelda and making Link her own forever._

_Every figure that followed was laughing. Ymota U, the evil sorceress, was replaced by the equally vile sorceror Damion. And Damion—Damion was replaced by the King himself…_

_Red-haired, laughing, the man in black armor. He was looking at the dreaming boy, looking and laughing. He had the power now, power and pleasure and pain. Murderer and usurper, destroyer and king…_

_Ganondorf…_  
--  
Link didn't wake up immediately after his dream. His stormy mind continued tossing him about, battering him against rocks of memory and imagination. When he did wake up, the morning light was pouring in through the window and Zelda was just sitting up and stretching.

He could still hear Ymota U laughing.  
--

The morning broke silently over Odnetnin. Rhia paced agitatedly around her room, looking from time to time at the bloody feather she held clenched in her hand. How had the feather crossed worlds?

Zyuiu sat on her bed, staring at the floor and ignoring the slow tears that traced trails down her pale cheeks. She felt a distant aching in her heart and cursed herself for it. Ymota U had been evil—she did not need or want that vileness back in her life.

Lindsay and Rowrun both sat in their bed, Lindsay cradling Rowrun as he stroked her long hair. Lindsay was lost in her musings, wondering if her sword had really spoken to her in the night. Would it save Rowrun at her expense? And Rowrun—Rowrun was contemplating life in a colorless world and found that it frightened him. Jerkily, he moved his hand from Lindsay's hair to his own chest. She caught his hand and they stared curiously into one another's eyes, wondering if forever would happen the way it was meant to.

André stood at the old wooden wardrobe in the corner of his inner room. It was where he kept his armor and the Sword of Power. The armor therein was old, older than André knew. It had served the princes of Odnetnin in countless battles of the past. He reached out with one trembling hand and held the Sword of Power. It did not live in his hands, and he wondered if you had to be prepared to die for the sword to live for you.

Link stood at the basin in his room, splashing the water onto his face. He was struggling to remember the litany of faces. Had the first really been who he thought? Father, Mother? Secrets locked away to him, he who grew up in the forest. He wondered if his life was like his dreams—started by his mother and father, and ended by Ganondorf?

Zelda stood at her window, staring in the wide open sky. On most mornings, the golden light of the sun warmed and comforted her. For seven years, a seven years that had never really happened, she had been forced to hide and watch the sun sink into smoky darkness. But now, even the sun could not warm her soul. Dreams were powerful things, and real, sometimes. She felt trapped. The darkness behind the sun was all too evident today, and the shadows thrown from her dreams were nearly blinding.  
--

a/n: This sucks. I hate this chapter. I'm…unhappy with it.  
Well, anyway.  
I wanted to get into the psyches of our lovely characters, sort of forcibly making them less static. Which is my roundabout way of apologizing for a chapter where nothing happens.  
So, what do we know? Zyuiu is afraid of Ymota U but loves her; Rhia is…holding a bloody chicken feather? I mean, forseeing her own death. Possibly a death by chickens but I'm not telling; Lindsay is willing to give up everything for Rowrun because he completes her, but Rowrun is not willing to live in a world with Lindsay and/or Flames; André is…um…I don't know what André is. I wrote that part without a plan. I think he's jealous. The sword changes but doesn't live for him. Little does he know that I think the sword devours souls when alive. Yum. But not in a Soul Edge from Soul Caliber sort of way. Just…eats 'em. And tosses the empty shell into the grave. But maybe not. Linky is scared of Ganondorf again. And Zelda is getting totally freaked out!  
Expect to see me resurrect people for no other reason than I want to! Also, watch me kill the characters you love and resurrect them because I do that. To date, I have killed seven characters in various and sundry stories, and none of them stayed dead. Except for the ones that did but came back to play anyway.


	5. Where the Darkness Sleeps

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for Odnetnin. The oasis that is two cities in a vast wasteland seems to be all mine, because nobody else really wants it.  
--  
_Beyond the shadows, beyond the dust_

_Here I linger, here I lust_

_Beyond the ash, beyond the flame_

_Here I die and stay the same_

_Beyond the love, beyond the spells_

_Here I burn, eternal hell_

_Beyond the names, beyond their glory_

_Here I wait to re-enter the story…_  
--  
--  
The group of seven stood in the entrance hall of the palace, staring somberly at Rowrun. Rowrun was shifting uncomfortably. "Rowrun," Zelda said patiently. "You have to tell us everything you know about this shadow…thing." Her eyes cut to André, Lindsay, Rhia, and Zyuiu in turn. "You all do."

"That's the thing, though," Rowrun said desperately. "We don't know much." He scratched the back of his neck. "We were…you know, never mind what me an' André were doing, all right? But we overheard André's father talking with several soldiers, who were reporting about what looked like storm clouds over the Tourney building."

"Yeah, but they weren't storm clouds," André said. He seemed to have the image burned in his mind with no words to describe it. "They said there was a shadow hovering over the building."

"Yeah, and the soldiers that had been sent in to investigate came out starkers," Rowrun said. His voice was nervous and he twirled his duster between his fingers. "Absolutely insane. Not happy insane, either."

André shook his head. "Terrified insane. Seeing things behind their eyelids, insane." There was a heavy, uncomfortable pause. "Killing themselves insane."

The others stood in a horrified silence. More to herself than the others, Rhia spoke. "They did not go well, did they." When the rest looked at her, she would meet none of their gazes but Zelda's, who quickly shifted her own eyes.

"And I told you all, back in the Proper," Zyuiu said softly. She could feel her palms sweating. "That Ymota U thought some…some evil form of insanity came out of a mirror."

"Yes, and there's supposed to be a mirror, underneath the Tourney," Lindsay offered. "Where the other-worlders come from."

"Well, if they could come in," Zelda muttered. She shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. If they all came in using the mirror beneath the Tourney, this shadow-thing would have come out by now."

"Maybe it just escaped," Link said. "Goddesses only know that evil just needs a little nudge."

"Do you think Ymota U nudged this thing?" Zyuiu asked. Even she was shocked to hear the worry in her voice. "I mean—it's been three years. It couldn't be her, could it?"

Zelda looked at Link, then shook her head. "I have no idea what it is."

"Right then," André said, clapping his hands together. "How do we get in?"  
--

"This was _not_ what I had in mind!"

Zelda wiped grit from her palms. "André, just walk up to the damn door."

"I don't want to go insane!"

"The sword lives for you," Zelda said. "It will protect you from the shadow."

"Won't it?" Rhia added. André glared at them all, holding the Sword of Power in his sweaty hands. He knew the sword changed for him, protected him from danger, but it didn't live for him. It didn't sing in his hands as it had in the days of old! With a resigned sigh, he pushed the thought from his mind and started towards the shadow-covered entrance of the Tourney.

"Wait!" Rowrun called. André turned. "André, if you go insane, can I have your sword?"

André paused before turning back towards the Tourney. "No." He came up to the shadowy door and stopped, looking at it and fidgeting slightly. Taking a deep breath, he held the Sword of Power before him and struck out at the dark. There was an electric crackle and André and his sword were sent spinning in different directions.

The others watched as André landed and immediately began cursing. "What fun," Zyuiu remarked absently.

"Any more bright ideas?" Lindsay asked.

Zelda stood, looking shocked. "I can't believe the sword didn't cut through the shadows," she said. "André, your sword! Why didn't it work?"

André stood up slowly, brushing dust from his legs. "Because the damn thing had a mind of its own! It probably doesn't want to go insane."

Zelda looked at him evenly. "Of course," she said faintly, turning to touch Link's shoulder. But Link had already moved forward, Master Sword held in front of him as he leapt at the shadow. The darkness sizzled, and where the sword touched, it faded. They watched as he chopped away the darkness until he turned around and announced, "I made a hole. It's even in front of the door. Shall we?"

"Oh yes, let's," Rhia said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "I call Zelda goes first!"

Zelda scowled, but moved towards the entrance, light gathering around her fists as she prepared herself for whatever could be lying in wait for her. Nothing attacked her, and, judging that to be a good sign, she gestured the others in. Link came in next and Rhia brought up the rear.

The Tourney was eerie and dark. They stood before the registrar's booth and looked around, shocked into silence. It was not that there was no one around them that was so eerie. But for them, there was nothing making a sound that they could tell. The silence was oppressive, and the shadows cast by Zelda's faint light were long and treacherous. The shadows devoured the walls hungrily, and their satisfied bellies told stories of untold deceit within their waiting maw.

It was not the emptiness that bothered them as they stood there, uncertain of where to go or what to look for. It wasn't the emptiness because this place wasn't empty. It was filled with living, hateful shadow, the all-encompassing burden of a sunless sky. The walls were alive.

Zelda heard the voices within the walls, the voices that the others couldn't hear. They whispered and cackled, mimicking the death cries of the soldiers that had perished. The shadows were alive…

"We should go through slowly," Zyuiu said. "Be thorough."

"Do we chance splitting up?" Rowrun wondered.

"It…would probably be best," Link conceded. "The less time we spend in here, the better, I think."

"I'll go with Zyuiu, Andre, and Lindsay," Zelda said. "Rowrun, Link, Rhia, you go together. Rowrun, what's the best way to divide up the complex?"

"We'll take the dormitories and the upper level training ring," Rowrun said after some thought. "You take the lower training rings and the two big arenas."

"We can meet up here again afterwards," Andre added. "And we'll search the basements together."

"Agreed," Link said, and they went their separate ways.  
--

Link, Rowrun, and Rhia made their way to the dormitories. The Tourney had two levels of rooms for fighters and guests to stay in; beneath those were training rings and gardens. The arenas were on the ground level.

"It's so dark," Rhia whispered unhappily. "I can't stand it."

"Let's be realistic, here," Rowrun whispered back. "What do you think we're going up against? Is this a monster? A magician? _Him_ again?"

"Why are we whispering?" Link whispered.

"Because there is a giant demon magician with abnormally large muscles and lovely sharp fangs waiting for us in one of these rooms," Rowrun whispered by way of explanation. "This way, maybe we can sneak up on him." Link seemed satisfied.

"The way I see it," the hero stated. "We're up either up against some magician's idea of a great joke, or the incarnation of pure evil."

The three of them looked at each other as they stopped before a dormitory door. "You have your fancy sword," Rhia whispered to Link. "You open it."

"Yes, but _you_ have _your_ fancy magic," Link hissed back. "You open it." They looked expectantly at Rowrun, who looked back at them absently.

"Uh? Oh. I'm not going. All I've got is a feather-duster." He held up the feather duster as proof, carefully ignoring the fact that beneath the feathers were rows of retractable spikes. It was a great conversation piece at balls, but there was no way he was going in first.

Rhia and Link exchanged a thoughtful glance, looked back at Rowrun, then nodded at each other. Rhia grabbed the doorknob and shoved the door open as Link grabbed Rowrun and pushed him in. "I know about the spikes!" Rhia called in cheerfully.

"Oi!"

Link and Rhia peered in after Rowrun, who had popped out the spikes and was now glaring at them threateningly. "There's nothing in here," Rhia said, almost disappointedly. "You know, I was actually expecting the incarnation of pure evil."

"Yeah," Rowrun said bitterly. "I was too! Thanks, guys."

Link grinned happily at his friend and clapped him on the back. "No problem, Rowrun! Next room?"

They made their way down the corridor quickly after agreeing to take turns opening the doors. They only stopped when they came to a familiar door.

"Now I know it's my turn," Rhia said. "But I'm the youngest here, and I really am far too pretty to die, so would either of you handsome, kind, strong gentleman care to open this one?"

"Not…not really," Rowrun confessed in a whisper, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh Mr. Hero?"

"Er," Link responded. "I vote we ignore this one. Ow! Hey!"

Rhia shrugged. "One of us has to responsible, you dolt."

Link made a face at her and gripped his sword tightly. "If I die, I'm coming back as a Poe to haunt you, Rhia," he said. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped into the curling black smoke.  
--

The four companions had an easy enough time going through the training rings. Zelda cast big enough fireballs that there was light into the far corners of the rooms, briefly eliminating the shadows.

It was the arenas that proved to be a problem. The fighting arena was a wide, open space. The second arena was an intricate labyrinth of traps and challenges and it was darker than death when they entered. Not even the sick parodies of natural light that had penetrated the shadow's dome above ground could reach the arena.

"Oh, goody," Lindsay said.

Zelda twisted her hand and held it above her head as a ball of fire blossomed into life. The four of them looked around at the dormant machinery and looming obstacles of the labyrinth. There were doors everywhere, leading to different parts of the arena. The doors had been locked, and the controls to the machinery were hidden from them.

"This is officially my least favorite day of my life," Andre said, then yelped as the Sword of Power turned into a torch. "Goddesses, I didn't even know it could do that."

Zyuiu grabbed the sword-torch from his hand and began wandering forward. "There's nothing here," she said. "There's just a lot of dust. Master Tourney must not have started them up again before leaving."

Lindsay made a disgusted noise as she followed closely behind Zelda. "There's little skulltula spiders all over the walls," she said. "I'm glad I was never the first to go on this challenge!"

"No, that lovely duty tended to fall to me," Andre remarked absently, jogging up to Zyuiu and snatching his weapon back. "I thought the big skulltulas were part of the challenge until I said something about to Rowrun, who'd never seen one inside the Tourney in his life."

Lindsay and Zelda laughed nervously, but Zyuiu was still looking around the huge arena. "I keep feeling like we're missing something," she said. She grabbed the torch from Andre again and pressed forward.

"Zyuiu!" Zelda called. "Not so fast! We're losing you!"

The light from the torch guttered and died, swallowed by the relentless shadow. Suddenly, Zyuiu shrieked and the Sword of Power came skittering out of the darkness. "Zyuiu!" Andre cried, running to grab his sword and rescue his friend. But Zyuiu came quickly out of the darkness, crawling backwards on the heels of her hands as she struggled to stand up. Andre reached her and pulled her upright. Zyuiu hurried backwards, unwilling or unable to tear her eyes from the darkness.

"Zyuiu!" Lindsay cried as she and Zelda ran over to the young prince and the shaken knight. "What happened?"

Zyuiu let out a choked cry. "She's…she's there! She's in there!" The rest of them craned their necks to see into the darkness, wanting to catch of a glimpse of this horror figure in the shadows.

"Who?" Zelda asked. "Who's in there?"

"She is!" Zyuiu insisted. She pointed at the darkness with a dry, cracked, bleeding hand.

"Oh, goddesses!" Lindsay said sharply, seeing Zyuiu's dry and bloody hands. "Zyuiu, who is she?"

Zyuiu pushed past her companions to take several faltering steps backward. "She is," she said again, her voice falling to a whisper. "She's in there. She's…she's here. She's here! We must get out of here! She's here! She's back! It's the shadow's fault—she's in there!"

The others cast a last look towards the darkness, then turned and hurried away from the abandoned maze to await Link, Lindsay, and Rowrun by the entrance, where at least the perverse distortion of light could banish the shadows from their feet.  
--

a/n: Oh boy, am I pulling a number on you guys. Here you are, thinking stuff is going to happen…but here I am, writing a five-page chapter. Urgh. I thought I'd get this up, and do all the explaining in the next chapter. Except one thing: The smoke coming out of the room Link enters is not the shadow. He won't be going insane.  
My writing style keeps changing. This is the most disjointed story in history.  
Here's the plan, though, kids: I plan on eventually taking the events of OoT, If Darkness, and Darkness Falls and combining them into one story. That's not Zelda and is legally mine. I'll be changing the story massively, keeping only certain elements of, you know, adventure and crap. If Darkness and Darkness Falls will come out virtually the same, because we all know I'm writing this for all the characters except Link and Zelda anyway…

Weeeeell, happy reading, my muffins!


	6. The Laughing Dead

Disclaimer: Oh, disclaimers. I don't own it, kids!  
--

_Here is the darkness, here is the light_

_Here is the key that will make it all right._

_Here is the comfort, here is the womb_

_Here is the door sealing your tomb._

_Here is the magic, here is the pain_

_Here is the heart to make it better again._

_Here is the madness, here is the sorrow_

_Here is the villain taking away tomorrow._  
--  
--

Just a moment had passed when Rhia called in, "Hey, Link! Found the incarnation of evil yet?"

He came back out, coughing. "There's—" His voice broke off as he coughed the smoke from his lungs. "Somebody's burning incense in there! The floor is covered in little incense burners!"

Rhia and Rowrun looked into the room, but couldn't see past the curling smoke. As the smoke wafted out towards them, they suddenly smelled it. "Oh, for the sake of—" Rowrun began coughing. "What _is_ that? It smells disgusting!"

Rhia held her fingers under her nose, trying to push away the smell of the smoke. "Maybe that's the incarnation of pure evil?"

"Who's burning incense?" Link wanted to know, whispering forgotten by this point. "The Tourney's been under the shadow for weeks! Who's been in here?"

"Let's not try to figure out on our own," Rhia said. "Let's go wait for the others." They started back the way they'd come. Link, on an afterthought, turned and shut the door to the clouded room.

They weren't waiting long when Andre, Lindsay, Zelda, and Zyuiu came towards them. Lindsay and Andre were holding Zyuiu's arms, guiding her, as she stared into nothing. Zelda was walking behind them, holding her hands up as torches. Link's group took one look at the other group and Rowrun said, "You first."

Zelda crushed the flames in her hands and bit her lip. "We didn't exactly find anything," she said. She told the other three what had happened to Zyuiu. "So we came up here because we didn't want to go into that, not without all the power we could get."

"We should have gone first," Rhia said to Rowrun. "We can't top that." And she turned to the other group to explain what they had found.

"A room full of burning incense?" Lindsay asked when the archmage had finished. Rhia nodded.

"What are we up against?" Andre wondered aloud.

"The incarnation of pure evil!" Rowrun said cheerfully.

"I think we should go back down and try to find out what attacked Zyuiu," Zelda said.

"Too dark," Zyuiu breathed in response. She was clutching one dry, bloody hand in the other, refusing to let Zelda bind them. "Much too dark."

"We'll have much more light this time," Zelda said in an automatic, soothing voice. "And the sooner we find what did that to you, the sooner you can beat it into a pulp."

Zyuiu considered and gave a shudder, but nodded. "Fair enough."

Andre and Zelda led the way down to the arena. Lindsay and Rhia stood next to Zyuiu, holding her shoulders whenever her shudders grew violent. They reached the arena amid hushed gasps from Rhia, Rowrun, and Link, who had never seen the labyrinth this way. As they made their way through newly settled dust, Lindsay sneezed and everyone, save Lindsay and Zyuiu, drew their weapons and jumped backwards.

"Sorry," Lindsay said with a sniff.

Rhia, looking traumatized, held a finger up. "I vote we whisper from now on," she whispered to her friends. "Because if we thought the incarnation of evil was upstairs, I don't even want to think about what's down here."

Zyuiu smirked even as she clutched her bloody hand. "I told you it was too dark down here."

A circle of light was cast around them as torches flared. "So far, we're not dead," Rowrun remarked absently as they advanced towards the heavy darkness. "I am taking this as a very good sign."

"Rowrun," Lindsay said with infinite patience and love. "Shut up." He bobbed his head in acknowledgement.

"This is where I was," Zyuiu said after a moment.

"What did you see before?" Link asked her. She shifted uncomfortably, staring around the circle of light before responding.

"The darkness was bright," she said finally. "But it was still in shadow. And then—she was there."

"Who was there?" Rhia asked.

Zyuiu rubbed her cracked hands. "She's dead."

Rowrun made a noise that might have been 'fwibble,' but, then again, it might not have been. "He understands!" Andre said excitedly. Rowrun made the noise again.

"You…you didn't see…your sister, did you? In there?" Rowrun looked into the shadows.

Zyuiu curled her hands against her chest like an old doll. "She was there," she insisted to no one in particular. "She grabbed my hands and I screamed and _she was there!_" She started to move towards the darkness, but strong hands caught her and held her back until the rest of the group moved forward as well. "We stay together," Link said sharply.

Long moments of probing the shadows turned up nothing. Irritated, Lindsay pushed her hair from her eyes and muttered, "We are getting nowhere!"

"Maybe we should go upstairs," Andre said. "Maybe we'll find an answer up there."

"It's definitely no worse than down here!" Rhia said with a smile as she was pulled towards the exit by a more than willing Zyuiu. The rest followed them up, and up again to the dormitories.

Cocking her head to one side, Zelda considered the heavy, curling smoke. "I can't help but think that so far, this has all been a big, dangerous waste of our time. We haven't found anything, Zyuiu has been attacked, and straying too close to the walls could turn us insane."

"Are you saying we give up?" Lindsay demanded incredulously.

Zelda shrugged. "No, not yet, anyway. If we can't find anything in this blasted room but incense, then yes, that's what I'm saying. All I'm saying right now is that the King is probably having a good laugh at us."

"Oh, he is," Andre said offhandedly. "In between worrying his beard grey, anyway."

"Fret fret fret," Rowrun said with a grin.

"Oh bother," Andre continued.

"Children these days, blah blah blah blah."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha."

"Fret fret fret."

When the two were finished, they found the rest of the group staring at them with expressions ranging from astonished to a bit worried. "Rowrun, love," Lindsay said sweetly, putting her hand on his arm. "You're a bit off your rocker, you know that?" He nodded proudly.

"If you two are done," Link said dryly. "Maybe we should open the door now?" Rowrun jumped backwards and Rhia casually looked away, scratching her cheek. Zelda, Andre, and Lindsay looked at Link expectantly. Zyuiu looked at the ground despondently. Link winced and grumbled to himself. "Sure, make the hero do all the work." He raised his voice as he opened the door. "Well, I don't want to die either, you know?"

"Hush, darling," Zelda said, stepping into the room. After a moment, only Zyuiu was left standing in the hallway.

"Zyuiu?" Rhia called over her shoulder. "Are you coming in?"

Zyuiu was concentrating on the curling smoke. She didn't seem to hear Rhia as she walked slowly into the room, staring down around her ankles at the thick, pungent smoke lingering there. Her companions were carefully examining the incense burners and the walls, careful not to touch any of the darkness.

Only Zyuiu noticed it, at first. The shadows on the wall were not shadows at all—this room was untouched by the evil that had consumed the rest of the Tourney. Rather, these shadows were of the same coiling smoke that hovered through the rest of the room. "Show yourself," Zyuiu said in a low voice. The rest looked over their shoulders at Zyuiu, standing in the center of the room with a upended brazier at her feet. "I can feel you in here! Show yourself." The smoke coming from the overturned brazier was climbing quickly up Zyuiu's legs. Reaching her upper thighs, the smoke pulled away from her body and began forming into the shape of a body. The smoke from the rest of the room was being pulled into the center, aiding in the creation of the grotesque thing. "Show yourself, Ymota U," Zyuiu whispered.

Bright red eyes suddenly winked into existence in the smoke-thing's face and a hole split open for rasping laughter to pour out. "Hello, Zyuiu," it said. "Did I scare you down there?" Zyuiu did not respond.

"What are you?" Link demanded.

"Oh my, ever the curt one, I see." As more and more smoke was added to the figure, the voice became clearer and the details smoother. A smoky Ymota U was indeed standing before them. "Hello, friends."

"You are not our friend," Rhia said adamantly.

Ymota U grinned. "No, I never did like most of you," she admitted. "What's wrong, heroes? Stuck for an answer? Shadow confusing you?"

"Ymota U," Zelda said in a strong, angry voice that she rarely used. "Tell us just what, by the goddesses, is going on here."

"Would if I could," Ymota U said with a rueful smile. "But I can't. Not by the goddesses, you see, not by a long shot."

"Ymota U," Zyuiu said in a tremulous voice.

The phantasm smiled in a sweet, sisterly manner. "I didn't really mean to hurt you, Zyuiu. I was just trying to say hello." When there was no response, Ymota U sighed. "I'm not evil anymore," she said. "Once past the world, such convictions as good or evil disappear. A spirit only is."

"Ymota U, you always were evil and you always will be," Zyuiu hissed.

Yet another smile crossed Ymota U's dark face. "Not evil, not now. Not evil, so much as…" She glanced around the room. "As intrigued, let's say. This…what are you calling it? The shadow?" The companions all nodded abruptly, so Ymota U continued. "This shadow is a portal of immense power. It is the gateway to dimensions unimaginable—dimensions that make the Sacred Realm look like Lon Lon Ranch. The shadow itself is a vaguely sentient being, but it works on puppet strings."

"Who pulls the strings?" Rhia wondered aloud.

Ymota U shrugged. " I haven't been able to figure that out yet."

"Do you know the shadow's—its master's purpose?" Zelda asked.

"Well, yes and no." Met by stern glares, Ymota U rolled red eyes and snapped exasperatedly, "I know what the shadow is doing here. What I don't know is what its master wants, all right?"

"By the goddesses, Ymota U!" Link growled. "What does _it_ want, then?"

"You," she said coquettishly. With a snort, she added, "All of you. The shadow is darkness in its purest form, no matter how it may look to you now. There's certainly more coming to add to its strength. But darkness needs something to exist." Her eyes fell to the dull symbol on Zelda's hand. "The darkness must feed on the light."

"And we're the light?" Rowrun scoffed.

"You're heroes," Ymota U cooed. "You're the epitome of light. You are paragons of virtue, epic defenders of sanctity. Never mind that the golden light of the goddesses shines from your Princess and blonde Hero boy over here."

Link was aware of eyes suddenly staring at him, but Zelda's eyes had gone wide as she became lost within her mind.

_Every light has its shadows; every golden dream its darkness._

Ymota U laughed unpleasantly. "I think the Princess knows what I mean." Zelda flushed furiously as she came back into focus. She stared evenly at the shadow of her former enemy. "Show us where this shadow is coming from."

"The lair of the Ksam-Rorrim," Ymota U said fondly. "I would, but you'll all be wanting your bloody torches. I can't go where there are no more shadows. That's all I am, you see?" Her gaze cut to Zyuiu and a horrible smile covered her lips. "Zyuiu, love, would you mind doing me a favor?" Before anyone could make a move, the form of Ymota U dissipated into shadow once more and immediately twined around Zyuiu. The others were knocked back to the shadowless walls while Zyuiu's cries were cut short.

"Interesting."

A body stood before them all, not Zyuiu's nor Ymota U's. The blue eyes had turned a vivid green, and the short blonde hair was rapidly growing darker and longer. The lips were curled into a vicious smile, and smoke curled and twined around Zyuiu's lithe body.

"Very interesting indeed," said Ymota U in Zyuiu's voice, from Zyuiu's lips. "Follow me, heroes. But let me warn you—the closer you get to the Ksam-Rorrim, the more you will find that torches will not avail you. It is a darkness that consumes everything, and be careful. It longs to consume you as well." She glided serenely out of the room. As she passed, Rhia noticed that any skin of Zyuiu's not hidden under the smoke was dry, cracked—and bleeding, like her hands.

The companions followed Ymota U sullenly, none of them speaking. By some cruel twist of fate, Rhia found herself walking next to Ymota U. She'd groaned inwardly upon falling into place beside the semi-dead sorceress, but had kept her place, not wanting the others to think of her as immature. She didn't know that Zelda and Lindsay were watching her worriedly, prepared to tackle Zyuiu's body to protect Rhia.

But despite her abject hatred for the thing twining itself into Zyuiu, Rhia felt a strange need to keep up with her. Ymota U was several paces ahead of the rest, and Rhia was right there with her. Rhia knew that any low conversations would not reach the others.

"What was interesting?" the young mage asked.

Ymota U looked down Zyuiu's nose at Rhia. Rhia drew back for a moment, causing Lindsay and Zelda to jump a bit. Seeing Zyuiu staring at her in such a disdainful way was unsettling, even though the eyes and hair were no longer Zyuiu's. She could see a vague amusement in the green eyes before Ymota U responded with a noncommittal, "Come again?"

"When you took over Zyuiu," Rhia urged, struggling to keep her voice casual. Yes, a spirit from beyond the grave had possessed one of her best friends, and yes, that spirit had been one of Rhia's greatest enemies, but goddesses damn if she wasn't an archmage! She would keep her voice calm. "You said that something was interesting. What was so interesting to you?"

Ymota U laughed a bit to herself, a feral grin on her face as she looked ahead. "Oh, that," she said dismissively. "Just Zyuiu's thoughts as I entered her mind were… interesting."

Rhia's turned her face sharply to stare up at Ymota U, horrified and entirely curious. "What do you mean? You heard her thoughts?"

"Hearing them, actually," Ymota U corrected. She did not seem to be taking much interest in the conversation. "Oh dear, but she's not happy."

"You'll leave her as soon as you've shown us where to go?" Rhia demanded.

Zyuiu's lips played into a smirk. "Of course, my little mage," she said in a voice that left Rhia unsure of the possibility of sarcasm. "Are you quite done asking me questions now?"

Rhia flushed scarlet. "What…was she thinking when you took her over?" she asked, feeling very small.

Ymota U smirked. "Mostly thoughts about how she hated me, but…she was also thinking, 'Don't take them to the mirror.'"

"What?" Rhia asked. "What mirror?" But Ymota U only smiled and continued walking. "Oh, shit." Rhia mumbled, falling back to walk with Lindsay and Zelda, now unconcerned with what they thought. "I think I might die."

"What, again?" Lindsay asked.

"You? You shut up."

"Come on," Zelda urged, trying her best to smile. "What were you talking about with—her?" Rhia told them, while Lindsay and Zelda listened, ashen-faced. Fairly soon, the boys had jumped in on the deal, and all six of them were whispering hurriedly about the mirror, about Zyuiu, and about Ymota U's random revival.

"Not now," they heard Ymota U say from up ahead. "Whispering's not nice. If you ask a question, I'll answer. I don't have any ulterior motives here." They could feel the smirk forming on her face. "Well, not much."

"You've known about this…mirror and shadow thing for a long time, haven't you, Ymota U?" Zelda asked. They all stopped as they entered the arena, and Ymota U, sensing they were no longer following, stopped and answered without turning around.

"In my last few years at the Tourney, I noticed some things that…didn't seem normal. Inside the Tourney building itself, night would come sooner than outside. I tested it. Night would settle fully over the Tourney while the sun was still setting all around it. I may have been a minion of evil, but even I didn't like that. Mindless evil is often worse than the kind _he_ or I could produce, and it worried me. I began to explore the Tourney, delving as deep as I could. I came to this arena in the dead of night, when no one would be using it, and I went deeper from here. Many of these doors lead downwards.

"The first door I went through that was of any interest led to a mirror," she continued. The companions were listening silently, wondering how much, if any, of Ymota U's words they could possibly trust. "It was the mirror through which contestants from the other worlds arrive. It was placed on a spot of weakness in the world, and mirrors are a conduit."

"What do you mean?" Rowrun asked.

"In a weak spot in the world, souls, dreams, and all sorts of foul things can pass through the walls of the world much easier. Mirrors are natural conduits to ease the passing because they already allow things into the world. Mirrors are doors to the soul, where your greatest hopes and fears may step out. They provide comfort and mockery, and they are dangerous. They show you your delusions when you should be seeing reality; and they show you the stark truth when you need that last breath of a dream. Mirrors are the greatest truth in the world, and they are the greatest illusions."

"Oh," Rowrun said.

"That mirror provided very little in the way of answers then, but it did allow me to realize what I've just told you about mirrors. And, when not allowing foreign warriors to pass through, it is _awfully_ reflective."

"It's a mirror," Andre said slowly, weighing the cost of saying it with the risk of Ymota U growing fangs and devouring him. He decided it was not too great of a risk, seeing as it was Zyuiu's body. Surprisingly, that brought a smug laugh from Ymota U.

"I know that, idiot," she said. "Until my reflection started talking to me." Zelda paled, having experienced living mirrors before. "Oh, the things it told me…I can't even repeat most of it."

"Why?" Rhia demanded to know.

"It would probably cause your hair to catch fire, little archseer," Ymota U said snidely. "As for the rest of you, your brain would melt through your eyes."

"I vote no telling of the thing that you weren't going to tell us anyway but now might for the sadistic pleasure but won't because we voted and I will get on my hands and knees and beg for you not to because believe it or not I actually enjoy the use of my brain and eyeball melting isn't overly pleasant either, and—"

"Rowrun, is it?" Ymota U interrupted. "Yes, you're Rowrun. I won't tell you. Shut up. One thing I can tell you is something Zyuiu may have seen after my death. I wrote it down."

"The mirror under the Tourney," Lindsay said, remembering what Zyuiu had told them in Hyrule Proper. That sunny day seemed so far off and faded.

"Exactly," Ymota U said. She had not yet turned around. "The reflection told me it was trapped in the mirror, but if I looked a little harder—delved a little deeper—I could set it free and all manner of crock like that. I had no desire to set it free, but it did also tell me that power beyond the dreams of the Evil King himself could be released from the mirror." She paused for a moment. "As I'm sure you can imagine, that made my day. And so I poured my energy into searching for that blasted mirror. I finally found the right door and came upon the mirror. There was not much there, except that my torch would not stay lit. The only light came from the mirror itself. All I know is that I sensed a great evil there."

"You didn't find out more?" Link asked skeptically.

"No," Ymota U said, suddenly turning around. "I had a masquerading Princess to go and kill that day."

"I don't like this at all," Rhia said darkly. "She tried to kill us all, specifically me and don't forget Sheik-Zelda, not to mention her heinous seducing of enchanted Link!"

Ymota U was smiling benignly. "That's a lot of big words for someone who can't make anything but chickens when she opens her mouth."

Rhia opened her mouth, shut it, and opened it again. "You horrible conniving sorceress!" she spat. "Get your bedamned shadows out of Zyuiu! You have no right to speak to her, or touch her, or be near her at all! Not after what you did! Not after what you are! Get out of her and get away from here!"

Zyuiu's lips twisted in a horrible smirk. "And what will you do about it, little archmage?"

Rhia held her hands up in a fighting stance, even has her friends tried to discourage her. "I will blast you out of her if I have to."

"Not so heroic, I think," Ymota U snorted, unconcerned with Rhia's threats.

"I never said I was a hero," Rhia snarled and began uttering arcane words that held no meaning to most of her friends. "Get out of her!" A grey smoke blasted forth from Rhia's hands, and—to everyone's great surprise—there were no chickens. Zyuiu's body was thrown backwards, but Ymota U was still laughing from inside. Black smoke uncoiled itself from Zyuiu's arms and shot at Rhia, wrapping itself around her arms and waist. "Hey!" Rhia struggled to get free, but the smoke held fast. The words to a spell tumbled from her mouth and suddenly, dozens of tiny chickens with razor sharp beaks were pecking at the smoke. Ymota U flinched back as the chickens pecked away at the extensions of herself and drew the smoke back, but immediately sent it forward again like a whip. Rhia caught the full impact and was hurled back, blood trickling from her mouth. She was up quickly, a ghostly snake (with an unfortunate beak) shooting from her hands to attack the shadows clinging to Zyuiu's body. The smoky phantasm was pushed out of Zyuiu's body momentarily, but before Zyuiu's eyes had even returned to blue, Ymota U was back inside of her.

As each mage readied their next attack, Zelda stepped forward from the shocked companions and held her own hands up. Rhia and Ymota U both found themselves suddenly pinned to different walls, several feet off the ground. "Rhia, stop!" Zelda demanded, sounding strained. "Please, Rhia, we need her! She's all we have now." Turning to Ymota U, Zelda's tone turned harsh. "And you! If you _ever_ attack one of my friends again I will personally see to it that your smoky existence is ended in a horribly slow manner, and it will be by my hands! We need you, and you are in Zyuiu's body, but don't think for a moment that I will hesitate in sending your soul beyond in pieces!" She roughly let the two of them down and looked from one to the other. "Are we clear? Do not speak to each other, do not look at one another!" She stopped for a moment, and everyone stared at her, shocked into silence. Rhia looked hurt for a moment, but the expression turned to hate as Lindsay helped her stand up. Ymota U was smirking at her from across the arena.

"Now," Zelda said in a quieter, but equally firm tone. "Ymota U, take us to this mirror. I'll be right behind you. Rhia, take up the rear and make sure nothing follows us." No one moved until Zelda glared at Ymota U, who sighed and turned towards the darkness.

"The door is this way," she said. She started forward. Zelda followed in a resolute silence; the others made an effort not to speak. Talk would be a strained effort at normality, something they could not reach at this point. Rhia followed behind them, glaring at Zyuiu's back and wiping the blood from her chin. Ymota U strode onwards, leading them ever closer to the darkness.

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a/n: Hmm. To be honest, kids, I think this is one of the best chapters I've ever written. There's no divisions in the chapter, either, which I think is a sign that my writing is getting a little better.

Oh, where to begin? I've known from the beginning that I'd be bringing Ymota U back, but originally I sort of thought she'd just talk to them from the mirror. This was much more fun.

Now I know I didn't say how Ymota U is 'alive,' but I'll get to that. Honest. Anyway. I love the focus on Zyuiu and Rhia in this chapter, but Andre and Rowrun are fast turning into my favorite duo. Though Rhia and Rowrun and pretty funny too…

Enjoy, muffins!

Oh, whoa, also! I totally forgot to ask. Kids, if I make these stories into original stories, may I use your characters? Give me guidelines for that! I will keep their names and credit them to you, or…not.


	7. The Greatest Illusion

Disclaimer: LoZ and all related characters belong to people hella cooler than me, and just about every other character here belongs to other hella cool people…who aren't me.  
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_From the darkness came a cry,_

_A bitter laugh, a brutal lie;_

_From the darkness the sorceress came,_

_A fearsome witch of forgotten name._

_From the darkness they did defend,_

_A world to save before the end;_

_From the darkness the heroes fell,_

_A mighty blast from mighty hell._

_From the darkness they rose once more,_

_A heavenly call to settle the score;_

_To the darkness the witch returned,_

_Quietly waiting the tables to be turned._  
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Once upon a time, a great sorceress had risen from ancient slumber. Lands fell to her, one after the other. Nothing, it seemed, could escape her great black gaze, and her rule was absolute. The sun fled from her bloody hands, and the risen moon was sickly in her grasp. The great races of the world fell before her shadow minions; to fight against the dark sorceress was madness.  
But a circle of brave mages rose quietly, forging seven swords to bring the sorceress to her fall. As quickly as the circle was forged it was broken; but from the broken circle came seven heroes. The sorceress was forced back into darkness, and though the heroes had won, the sorceress waited patiently in darkness for her time to regain the world.  
Generations passed and the sorceress was forgotten. The war waged from the broken circle was remembered as a war for independence that had its legacy in a continuing struggle. Only those who came from the dark themselves recalled the sorceress.  
The companions didn't know this as they followed Ymota U into the deepening gloom. Ymota U led them on silently, only occasionally stopping to warn a companion away from the walls.  
"You won't want to touch them," she said. "The shadows are becoming realer here."

"Will it affect you, if you touch it?" André asked.

Ymota U didn't turn back to look at him as she answered. "It won't affect me," she said shortly. "I'm dead. It would probably affect Zyuiu." She pushed forward, moving ever farther ahead of the group. They followed unquestioningly, knowing that Ymota U possessed knowledge of the darkness that they couldn't even fathom.

And if she was leading them astray…

It didn't bear the thinking of.

The silence, with the light, grew increasingly strained as they descended through long forgotten passages, damp with the wet of years. Link held his torch warily, remembering that Ymota U had said the torches would not help them as they got closer to the…what? The Ksam-Rorrim? They had all figured out that it was merely Mirror-Mask spelt backwards. What did it mean? Link watched his torch with half his mind, while the other half raced to understand. What Ymota U leading them on to nothing? What could mask a mirror? Or…but why was it backward? What did it mean?

When everything had calmed down, and the sun came out, a very long time later, the companions would swear that Ymota U knew as the torches all suddenly guttered and died. No one could swear to a smirk or a nod, but she'd known they were about to go out. She'd known.

"Oi!" Rowrun cried, stumbling suddenly in the darkness. The party halted, suddenly unsure of the path.

"This is not good," Lindsay said, instinctively finding Rowrun and helping back up. "How are we supposed to know how close we are to the shadow?"

"What, you mean you can't _feel_ it?" Ymota U questioned from ahead.

"No," André spat. "Can you?"

"It's everywhere," she whispered.

"Zelda, or Rhia, can't either of you create light?" Link asked.

Both their answers were terse, nervous. "My hand burns every time I try," Rhia told them. "Like the light is staying bottled up inside."

"It's probably afraid," Zelda added dryly. "I try, but nothing happens."

"We shouldn't go on," Link said. "I don't want to lose anyone."

They could hear Ymota U make a smug noise. "That's no attitude for a proper hero to take," she chided. "You know something is wrong in the world when _I'm_ the one playing hero. Just close your eyes, little children, and feel the darkness."

"What?" Lindsay demanded.

"Close your eyes," Ymota U repeated. "And don't think about failure. Your body will avoid the shadow naturally if you just don't think about what will happen should you touch it. Close your eyes…breathe in deeply…don't think. Just go. Slowly."

Not one of them trusted her, but Zelda could see the wisdom in her words. The others could hear the soft scraping of Zelda's feet against the stone as she moved slowly forward. Her breathing was even and her body relaxed as she brushed her way through the darkness. Not wanting to break her serenity, her safety, the others slowly accepted Ymota U's words and moved forward as well, eyes closed.

The journey through the stone passages was arduous as each of the companions slid slowly through the narrow break of light against the shadow. And, as Ymota U had said, they began to feel the darkness. It didn't touch them, but the presence of it was enough to creep into their souls and make them shiver.

It was Rhia who cried out first when light suddenly flooded the passage again. The light was sickly and silver, coming from very far away. But it still illuminated the narrow passage, which was made all the narrower for the shadow pressing in all around.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked, eyes flying open instantly.

Rhia was in no mood to explain her panic to her friends. Absently, she wondered how she hadn't seen this coming. This…this hallway, this passage, this light. She knew exactly what made the light pour into the hallway.

"Er," Rhia said after a moment. "We're close to the mirror."

"Good girl," Ymota U said brightly. "Yes, it's just down there. Come now, you're not all scared, are you?" She gave Rhia a sideways glance and a smirk. Rhia snorted and ignored her.

"What exactly are we going to do once we find this mirror?" Rowrun whispered as they continued down the passage. "We don't exactly have a plan."

"He's right," André said unhappily.

"I think this one will be touch and go," Link said. "This isn't like anything we know."

None of them, save Ymota U, were able to keep themselves composed as the narrow hall opened into a wide, circular room. The silvery-blue light was stronger here, coming from the mirror standing in the middle of the chamber. It looked almost lonely, but for the singular, monstrous shadow lurking above it.

Ymota U had stood back as the companions filtered in, and watched with a small smirk as they examined the mirror from a distance. The mirror itself was plain, nothing more than a bare frame and smooth reflection. It gave off some terrible, bone-chilling aura, as if the mirror had once seen horrible things enacted before it. Some malice stronger than the shadow lingered in its glow, something ancient and evil and not wholly of this world. "I don't like this at all," Rhia said quietly. She was trying so hard to expel the visions from her head, but all she could see was the bloody chicken feather.

"Nothing's happening, I notice," Rowrun said, his wary glance turning skeptical for a moment.

"Well, what did you expect would happen?" Ymota U asked as she stepped forward. The group stepped back involuntarily as she touched the mirror's frame with a finger. "That the shadow would burst forth from the mirror and consume you all, leaving your worthless bodies in a heap as it slithered back to whence it came?"

"Yes," Rowrun said without a moment of hesitation.

Ymota U blinked, then turned to the mirror. She was resting one hand on the mirror's frame and studying it intently. "Ymota U, are you sure you don't know anything else about the mirror?" Link said finally.

"Heroes," Ymota U said by way of reply. "How much faith do you place in the goddesses?"

"What?" Zelda asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you have faith every night that the sun will rise again in the morning? Do you have faith every night in the darkness that the goddesses will not rend the world apart, stone by stone?"

"Of course," Lindsay snapped. "The goddesses created us, gave us life. They wouldn't destroy the world."

Ymota U spun around to face them, a small, tight smile on Zyuiu's lips. "You sound so sure…what was your name? L…Lindsay. How can you be so sure?"

"Ah—I—" Lindsay stopped, flustered.

"Your faith is strong," Ymota U said in a voice void of irony. "Perhaps it shouldn't be." And again Ymota U turned to the mirror, her stolen eyes unreadable.

Zelda's mind was a chaotic whirl of emotions, but she stepped towards Ymota U anyway. "I've had enough," she stated. "Ymota U, either tell us what is going on, or stop toying with us with your cryptic messages."

Ymota U half-turned towards Zelda, eyebrows arched in amusement. "Toying with you? I'm asking you a simple question. Tell me, Zelda, is your faith in the goddesses strong?"

Zelda stared stonily at Ymota U for a moment before responding. "It is," she said. "The goddesses have protected me throughout everything. They always have and they always will."

Ymota U gave Zelda a sympathetic smile. "Then this will be hardest for you, Princess." Ymota U leaned forward and pushed Zelda away violently. "Shadow, awaken! Let your mistress know the sigils are in place and the Circle has been reforged!"

Link and Andre had scrambled to grab Zelda as she fell, and now Zelda was already moving towards Ymota U again, Rhia right behind. "Ymota U, I don't know what you're trying to do—" Zelda growled, flame dancing around her hands.

Stolen lips grinned and a stolen voice gave way to laughter. "Princess, princess, you do! You did from the beginning and you just didn't want to believe it." Ymota U was watching Zelda's steps intently, and as Zelda took what turned out to be her final step towards the stolen body, Ymota U closed her eyes and waved one hand.

Long ago, sigils and runes had been carved into the floor around the mirror, allowing the weak boundaries of reality to give way. Forming a wide circle around both Ymota U and the circle, the sigils flared brilliantly as Zelda made to step through them. Zelda and Rhia were thrown backwards as the sigils burned. The weak silver light of the mirror danced viciously in the fiery light of the runes, causing wicked, elongated shadows to come forth. The mass of shadow that had waited above the mirror was now diving in through the mirror's surface, which warped and rippled as the shadow passed through.

The six companions stood at the edge of the ring of sigils, watching, horrified. Before their eyes, the reflection of Zyuiu's battered body in the mirror was twisting as becoming…something else. A different person was reflected in the mirror, neither Zyuiu nor Ymota U. This new person was tall and slender, with a face of sharp lines and elfin eyes.

She was evil; the companions knew this more assuredly than anything they had before.

The chamber was like some scene from a forgotten hell: sigils burning brightly, shadows long and consuming, cruel laughter hanging unheard in the air. The mirror glowed a bastard mixture of its own silver light and the hot light of the runes, and the eyes of the woman in the mirror shone with the bastard light.

"Run," Link gasped hoarsely. "Run!"

Things were happening quickly. As the companions tried to get to the door, Zyuiu fell to the floor with a cry as Ymota U, nothing but a shadow, left her sister to block the door. Red eyes and a strange, nebulous mouth smiled at the companions. "You're not going anywhere," she said.

Zelda and Rhia both at Ymota U with magic, but the grinning thing didn't waver. Sword of Power and Master Sword sliced through the witch, but once again, Ymota U was unaffected.

"You're wasting your time," a voice hissed from behind them. "She is immaterial."

No one was willing to turn around to face the speaker. Ymota U was still smiling at them. "I'll take this opportunity to introduce you," she hissed. "Heroes, meet the sorceress Eisroa. Sorceress, witness the Circle reforged!"

"Oh, oh, oh," Rhia whispered.

The smile that had been on Ymota U's face until now widened into a full grin. "This is why I like having you around, archseer!" she cried happily. "I don't have to explain _anything_ with you around."

Rhia was backing away from Ymota U until she realized she was nearing the ring of sigils on the floor. She let out a yelp and settled on backing to a neutral wall, her breathing ragged as her mind raced.

"What?" Lindsay finally managed to whisper, in between frantic glances at Ymota U and the prone form of Zyuiu.

"Oh, oh, oh," Rhia repeated. Ymota U and the sorceress in the mirror exchanged a glance, and each smiled knowingly. "Oh, _no._"

"Come on, archseer," Ymota U said, laughter bubbling in her voice. "Tell them what you know. Spoil the surprise."

Rhia opened her mouth to speak, only to pause and glare at Ymota U. "She's the one, isn't she? The one who _masked the world in darkness to mirror her heart_…Yes, it's her, isn't it, Ymota U?" Link started violently at Rhia's words. Those words again! Mask and mirror, mirror and mask…

"She's a mage, isn't she?" the sorceress from the mirror asked Ymota U. It was appalling to the companions that a normal conversation seemed to be existing outside of their horror and dread.

"Some sort of archmage, or archseer," Ymota U affirmed. "Sort of powerful, but has this dreadful affinity for fowl."

"Don't they all," sighed the sorceress. "Go on, then, mage. Tell them who I am."

Rhia was staring at the mirror now, unable to tear her eyes away, but her words were directed to her companions. "Once, long before _he_ had ever dreamed of life or evil, there was…a sorceress. She conquered the world, and the world became dark." The sorceress in the mirror chuckled. "But…seven mages were gathered in secret to find a way to defeat the sorceress. Instead of creating a single, powerful, and easily detectable weapon they each created one." Rhia paused as stories she had learned growing up flooded back to her. "But after the weapons—swords—were completed, the Circle of mages was broken and the founders scattered…they were killed. But…in the next generation…"

Rhia paused once more and looked fearfully at her friends, her mind slowly beginning to understand what Ymota U had known from the very start. "Seven heroes found the swords and were led to each other," she whispered. "Seven heroes defeated the sorceress and sealed her spirit away in a mirror, where her soul could not move or escape." Rhia swallowed. "The swords disappeared into obscurity, but…"

"Our swords," Lindsay whispered, glancing swiftly at the sorceress. "The Sword of Healing and the Sword of Power."

Rhia let out something close to a strangled sob. "And the Master Sword, if I'm right," she said quietly. "It was one of the holiest of all the swords, it's no wonder the goddesses chose it to seal the Sacred Realm."

"Oh, damn," Zelda said. "We're—we can't be—"

"But you are," the sorceress said. "You seven all are the ones who sealed me here! It was aeons ago for you, but I have lived those aeons."

"Oh dear," Rowrun whimpered.

"And you will be _mine_," the sorceress hissed. Tendrils of the shadow snaked out from the mirror and threaded menacingly through the air towards the heroes.

Surprisingly, it was Ymota U who saved them. She halted the shadows with a hiss and turned to the sorceress. "What about my body?" she demanded.

"I have it waiting here," the sorceress said.

"Will it stand in this plane? It must stand in this plane for the deal to go through!" Ymota U warned.

"It will stand in your plane," the sorceress said. "I am Eisroa, or have you forgotten? I have no need of your plane—you will spread my name for me as I take on other planes. But I need them delivered before I give you the body."

"Hunh," Ymota U snorted. "Fine. Just remember the deal. My sister is not to suffer."

"She'll go first," the sorceress assured Ymota U. "She will not see the others die."

Ymota U nodded, glancing at Zyuiu. "Good. Then take them. I have no need for them anymore."

Not one of the companions stood still as the shadows snaked around them. They fought and struggled, but the shadows held tight around them. The glow from the mirror intensified, and with a resounding crack, the companions disappeared.

The sigils slowly faded and cooled as Ymota U stood waiting before the mirror. After some long moments, the sorceress reappeared in Ymota U's reflection. "You've done well to come back to me, Ymota U, and find the Broken Circle. To reforge the Circle without their ever finding out—you've done well." Ymota U beamed. "This is yours—as is the world. I am not strong enough to come out of the mirror yet, but you'll know when the Sacred Realm is mine." Ymota U nodded, and the sorceress disappeared.

The sigils flared brightly again for a moment, and as they faded once more, Ymota U examined her new flesh-and-blood body. It was to the inch every bit of what her old body had been, and it felt good.

"Goodbye, heroes," she said to the mirror, grinning. The grin faded for a moment. "Goodbye, sister." Then, flipping her long hair over her shoulder, she left the mirror behind.

A world was about to fall.

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a/n: Shite.

So…I'm currently developing all of this into a not-a-fanfiction, because I'm liking it muchly. The story would actually start with this Broken Circle, which I'm having waaaay too much fun with.

Here are some neat things I'm toying with:

The goddesses—A husband God and a wife Goddess. Cute, huh?

Link—The high-priest-in-training of the God and Goddess

Zelda—Still a princess, but not the heir to the throne; likely to become the head of a prestigious Magical…thing

And that's sort of all I have, other than the Broken Circle and whatnot. I definitely did myself a favor, having seven mystical swords all the way back then in that chapter, seven or eight I think, of If Darkness. Who knew, huh?

Hugs and muffins!


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